We’ve never asked our community to write to the Prime Minister before. Our work is usually restricted to the grassroots, providing opportunities for Australian Jews to connect directly with Israeli changemakers who share their values.

$10,000 Grant to Hotline for Refugees and Migrants

Our first grant was to the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, Israel’s leading legal clinic working with asylum seekers.

On an individual level, they have been successful at gaining refugee status for survivors of the genocide in Darfur, and they’ve also created sector-wide change by bringing important petitions before the courts, resulting in the nullification of anti-refugee laws.

In the last month they have seen a 200%+ increase in asylum seekers attending their clinic and asking for help. Our funding allows them to staff up their clinic and case manage even more people seeking asylum.

$10,000 Grant to Kav La'Oved

Our second grant was to Kav La’Oved, a clinic dedicated to helping vulnerable Israelis resolve employment difficulties. Under Israeli law, those with unprocessed refugee claims must deposit 20% of their wages, which is only accessible when they leave the country. This is an attempt by the Israeli government to coerce those seeking asylum to leave ‘voluntarily’.

Our grant to Kav La’oved not only ensures that those who are deported gain access to those funds, but also that they understand their full employment rights and aren’t taken advantage of by their boss or the tax authority.

The New Israel Fund Australia Foundation is a leading organisation committed to social justice, human rights and democracy in Israel. We work with Israelis experiencing poverty, discrimination and injustice to create a more inclusive, tolerant and equal society. Based on the vision of the country’s founders, we work towards an Israel that is “based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel… [and] complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.”